“Flyers coach Peter Laviolette struggled with the idea of giving slumping captain Mike Richards a pair of new linemates over the weekend, but when he did the 25-year-old center produced instant results.

Playing on a new line with wingers Darroll Powe and Claude Giroux, Richards scored his first goal since Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals and picked up two assists in Saturday night’s 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.

“You know, I wrestled with it a little bit to be honest with you because I thought last game we generated a lot of even strength chances,” Laviolette said. “Ultimately, we decided to change it.

I thought that the lines were good and I thought that Mike had a terrific game.”

Tonight, those new line combinations will get a second look when the Flyers visit R.J. Umberger and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets are 4-3 this season and 1-3 at home. Umberger,who last played for the Flyers in 2008, leads the club with four goals and five points.

Prior to Saturday, Richards had centered a top line with Jeff Carter on his right and Andreas Nodl on his left.

Nodl was pulled from the lineup Saturday and Carter was moved back to his natural center position on a new line with wingers James van Riemsdyk and Nik Zherdev. Agitator Dan Carcillo returned to the lineup on a grit line with Blair Betts and Jody Shelley. The only line that remained intact was the unit of Danny Briere between Ville Leino and Scott Hartnell.

Goaltender Brian Boucher, who picked up his first win of the season Saturday, and rookie Sergei Bobrovsky are expected to split the Flyers’ next two games. The Flyers return from Columbus to face the Sabres Tuesday night at home.